Why Do I Feel Anxious For No Reason?

I love asking questions.

I love to learn new things, and I cannot stop myself from challenging authority and doubting that leaders have thought things through properly!

The most difficult questions tend to start with “why”.

Answering a question beginning with “who”, “where”, or “when” tends to involve determining a fact that is often indisputable.

It may take some time to find the answer, but it is like a maths problem or a good cryptic crossword clue – once you find the answer, you can be sure that it is correct.

Questions that start with “why” are much trickier.

They are often subjective or, at the very least, require a deep understanding of a complex system.

When applied to decisions made by people, “why” questions also tend to get to their motivation, which they are not always happy to reveal!

Many of us also ask “why” questions of ourselves.

Why do I find it so hard to get out of bed in the morning?

Why will my body not behave as I want it to?

Why can I not be like that person who I admire?

They speak to our aspirations, desires, and frustrations with ourselves.

“Why do I feel anxious for no reason?” is one of those tricky questions.

I think it is essential that we recognise that there is a significant assumption in the question itself.

It would be more appropriately worded: “Why do I feel anxious for no reason that I can identify now?”

Gut feelings are real and have evolved to protect us from danger before we consciously process the signs.

The feeling you get when you think you are being watched or when a situation starts to feel volatile or dangerous.

Our gut feelings are not always right, but better safe than sorry is often a good approach to deciding whether to walk down that dark alley!

But anxiety is much more complex than that.

I have times when I feel highly anxious for no specific reason that I can pinpoint.

It is incredibly frustrating, as well as exhausting.

(Anxiety is always tiring – strong emotions are much more wearing than even intense physical exercise, when at least you get an endorphin rush, in my experience).

But in those situations, it may be fruitless to question why you are feeling anxious if no immediate answer comes to mind.

It is essential to acknowledge that you are feeling anxious and find a way to deal with it.

You should also know that there is nothing wrong with you for feeling anxious with no apparent cause sometimes.

It is just part of the human experience for many of us, and you are certainly not alone in having these episodes!

There are lots of different strategies for dealing with this mystery anxiety, and not all of them will work for everybody.

It is generally a good idea to have two or three in your mental, personal first aid kit according to the situation – it can be hard to leave work because you need a long walk to deal with your anxiety!

You need to find what works best for you and is practical in the situation where you find yourself.

I know the temptation can be just to put everything on hold and focus on your all-consuming worry, but this is not a good idea.

Firstly, you are putting your life on hold and letting the anxiety win – there are lots of good things out there for you, even when you are anxious.

Secondly, this approach is very unlikely to deal with the anxiety – it will probably make it worse.

So what can you do?

·?????? Do something that you enjoy and takes your full attention. This could be a hobby, reading a good book, or watching a favourite film (but not one you know so well that your mind can wander!)

·?????? Get active. Physical exercise does make us feel better, and I say that grudgingly as a confirmed couch potato!

·?????? Get into nature. It may be a double whammy if you can make your therapeutic walk happen in a green place. Being surrounded by green things or animals really can make a huge difference.

·?????? Rest. I know that my anxiety is worse when I am tired. A good sleep or just a quick nap may make all the difference.

·?????? Eat or drink. Our bodies and minds need fuel to work properly. When this runs short, weird stuff starts to happen. But beware of a short-term sugar rush!

·?????? Write or journal about your feelings. When you start to set out your worries on paper or screen, you immediately take a step away from them and begin the process of detaching yourself from the anxiety. You may even be able to advise yourself on what to do as if talking to a friend in your position. Speaking of which….

·?????? Talk to somebody. You may want to make it clear that you are looking for support, not solutions, but sometimes, there can be a quick fix that you have missed—our brains do not work brilliantly during an anxiety episode. But even if there is not, a good chat about how you are feeling can make a world of difference.

·?????? Be kind to yourself. Nothing is wrong with you for feeling like this; beating yourself up for it will not achieve anything. If you could just stop being anxious, you would have already done so.

But most important of all, you should find what works for you.

So, if you do something that helps you through one anxiety episode, write it down somewhere you can easily find it in the future.

I know you think you will remember it, but you probably won’t, especially when your brain is overwhelmed by worry.

You are not alone, and you will get through this.

Sometimes, the why does not matter as much as dealing with the now.

If the brakes fail while driving your car, the most important immediate issue is not what went wrong but stopping the car safely.

You can look into why the brakes failed afterwards, just as you may want to look for triggers for your anxiety once it has passed.

If you can identify something that you can change in future, excellent.

But this is rare in my experience.

You are amazing just as you are, anxiety included.